Tungabhadra River Paddy Cultivation and Krishna Command Area, Raichur

Raichur district in north Karnataka sits at the confluence of the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers, making it one of the state's most important rice-growing regions. The Tungabhadra High Level Canal and the Krishna left bank canal system irrigate hundreds of thousands of acres of paddy in Raichur, transforming what was historically a drought-prone region. Farmers grow Sona Masuri, BPT 5204, and traditional Sonaah varieties suited to the black cotton soil. The Raichur paddy market at Manvi is one of Karnataka's largest rice auction yards. Traditional paddy transplanting in Raichur involves large cooperative labour groups (muttu) where families assist each other on a reciprocal basis — a practice maintained even as mechanisation spreads.